Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Portland, OR
Issued by NWS Portland, OR
633 FXUS66 KPQR 120445 AAB AFDPQR Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Portland OR 945 PM PDT Tue Aug 11 2026 Updated Aviation Discussion .SYNOPSIS...Warm and dry conditions expected through the week with persistent onshore flow. A stronger onshore push will bring increasing clouds tomorrow and cooler temperatures. Mostly dry through the weekend, but there are indications of increasing chances for rain early next week (though chances remain low at this time). && .DISCUSSION...Satellite imagery as of late Tuesday morning depicts mostly sunny skies across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington as morning stratus has dissipated. Will continue to see some marine clouds hugging the coast through this afternoon as we maintain onshore flow. This onshore flow will persist throughout the week and provide near-normal temperatures across the region for this time of year. Expect high temperatures in the mid 80s today across interior valley locations and 60s along the coast. Slightly cooler conditions are forecast tomorrow (Wednesday) as the upper level pattern shifts from zonal flow to more troughing. Broad upper level troughing over British Columbia this evening becomes a bit more organized as it drops south into Washington and Oregon. This pattern typically corresponds with a stronger push of marine stratus inland by Wednesday morning. Like previous days, still expect the marine layer to generally remain below 2000 ft but could see the stratus push through into the I-5 corridor through the Coast Range gaps and Lower Columbia River Valley. Would not be surprised for the coast to see some drizzle Wed morning as well. With the marine layer lingering into the late morning and early afternoon, temperatures will be slower to warm resulting in highs reaching into the mid to upper 70s across the southwest Washington lowlands and Portland-Vancouver Metro Area, while temperatures in the central and southern Willamette Valley are more likely to warm into the low 80s. Most of the moisture associated with the aforementioned trough is expected to remain across portions of the northern half of Washington, keeping us dry. There is agreement among the models and their ensembles for later in the week with the upper level pattern trending toward broad upper level troughing and a continuation of onshore flow. The potential range of afternoon high temperatures from the NBM for Thursday through Friday has generally consolidated into the lower to mid-80s, favoring near to slightly above average conditions for mid-August. More uncertainty into the weekend, but ensembles are suggesting weak upper level ridging may nudge back into the Pacific NW as low pressure deepens the upper trough offshore. This could result in a slight warming trend, though models suggest there is only a 15-20% chance of exceeding 90 degrees across the Willamette Valley on Sunday and Monday. Shortwave troughs within the more southwesterly flow aloft along with some increasing monsoonal moisture will also bring slight chances (10-20%) for thunderstorms along the Cascade crests of Oregon for Saturday afternoon, with the highest chances across the Lane County Cascades. The question then turns to the possibility of rain early next week, but chances for measurable precipitation remains low (15-30%) across the area next Monday. Cluster analysis of 500 mb heights shows a wide range of the magnitudes and placements of the upper level trough offshore, while 25% of ensembles show the potential for any substantial rainfall (24 hour totals of 0.10-0.25") across the area. -10/DH && .AVIATION...A robust onshore push continues to develop through the overnight hours. IFR/LIFR conditions are currently present at all coastal locations and those conditions are expected to persist through around 18Z-20Z Wednesday. Afterwards, conditions could improve towards MVFR/IFR, with a higher probability of occurrence at KAST, while KONP will likely maintain IFR/LIFR conditions. The marine stratus is expected to infiltrate through the gaps and flows of the coastal range as well as march down the Columbia River. Expect MVFR conditions to impact all inland locations starting around 10Z-14Z Wednesday. These MVFR conditions are expected to persist until around 18Z-20Z Wednesday. Expect north/northwest winds to persist through the TAF period to around 10 kts or less. However, gusty north/northwest winds expected to return to coastal locations south of KTMK as well as for TAF sites within the northern Willamette Valley with gusts approaching 20 kts starting around 19Z-22Z Wednesday. KPDX AND APPROACHES...Predominately VFR with clear skies through around 12Z-14Z Wednesday after which marine stratus is expected to impact areas around the terminal. Expect these MVFR conditions to persist, with improvement towards VFR around 19Z Wednesday. Expect north/northwest winds to persist through the TAF period to around 10 kts or less. Gusty north/northwest winds expected to return with gusts approaching 20 kts starting around 19Z-22Z Wednesday. /42 && .MARINE...High pressure offshore will continue to support northerly winds and fairly benign conditions across the coastal waters through the week and into the weekend. Winds from the north to northwest with gusts less than 21 kts will continue through at least the end of the week. Wind driven seas are expected to remain around 3 to 6 ft through the week. -03 && .PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. PZ...None. && $$ www.weather.gov/portland Interact with us via social media: www.facebook.com/NWSPortland x.com/NWSPortland